NASCAR Driver Capsules, Sept. 5

ETC.: Earnhardt has completed 99.1 percent (11,113) of the 11,209 total laps contested in 28 career starts at Richmond. His average start is 16.0, while his average finish is 13.8. He has one DNF there.

WHERE HE STANDS: Joey Logano continued his outstanding climb upwards in the standings in the last three races. After moving from 16th to 13th after Michigan, Logano rose three more places after Bristol to 10th place, and climbed two more places to eighth after Atlanta. He trails points leader Jimmie Johnson by 108 points (down from 136 last week), is 21 points behind seventh-ranked Dale Earnhardt Jr. and leads ninth-ranked Greg Biffle by two points.

RICHMOND RECORD: 9 career starts, 0 wins, 2 top-fives, 2 top-10s and 0 poles. Best career finish: 3rd in spring 2013. Finished 30th in this race last year and finished third in this year's spring race there.

LOOKING AHEAD: Logano is on the verge of making his first-ever Chase. He just needs to stay focused and steady and hope for good luck at Richmond. Unfortunately, he hasn't had the greatest of overall records there, but he does come into Saturday knowing he finished third there in the spring. Here's his thoughts on Richmond: "It's something I've been saying and I will continue saying - we are not going to look at doing anything different this weekend then we have been doing the last several weeks. We are going to go out there and try and win the race or get the best possible finish we can. But I'd be lying if I said we also weren't going to be paying attention to the competition. But we are not points racing just to get in - we are going to race hard and do what we've been doing all year. We get ourselves a good finish and we will lock ourselves into the Chase."

LOOKING BACK: Logano had an outstanding run at Atlanta, leading 78 laps before Kyle Busch passed him late in the race. Still, Logano has nothing to feel ashamed about for finishing second in the race.

ETC.: Logano has completed 96.9 percent (3,496) of the 3,606 total laps contested in nine career starts at Richmond. His average start is 14.1 and average finish is 17.3. He has one DNF there.

16 GREG BIFFLE, Ford

Team: Roush Fenway Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: Greg Biffle remained in ninth place in the standings for the second straight week after Atlanta. He trails points leader Jimmie Johnson by 110 points (down from 123 last week and 181 points three weeks ago), is two points behind eighth-ranked Joey Logano and leads 10th-ranked Kurt Busch by eight points.

RICHMOND RECORD: 22 career starts, 0 wins, 2 top-fives, 6 top-10s, 1 poles. Best career finish: Third in fall 2005. Finished ninth in this race last year and was a disappointing 36th in this year's spring race there.

LOOKING AHEAD: Biffle knows he's on the bubble and anything can happen Saturday at Richmond. He's preparing for the best and hoping not for the worst: "I'm looking forward to Richmond, we ran well there in the spring and it's always been a pretty fair track for us. Looking to get into the Chase, we really need a top-15 finish, need to stay out of trouble and try to stay up front. We are really excited about making the Chase and making a run at the title."

LOOKING BACK: After a pair of back-to-back ninth-place finishes at Michigan and Bristol, Biffle slipped slightly to finish 15th at Atlanta.

ETC.: Biffle has completed 97.4 percent (8,579) of the 8,809 total laps contested in 22 career starts at Richmond. His average start is 18.7 and average finish is 17.2. He has one DNF there.

78 KURT BUSCH, Chevrolet

Team: Furniture Row Racing

WHERE HE STANDS: Kurt Busch climbed back into the top-10 after a strong run at Atlanta, going from 12th to 10th. Busch trails points leader Jimmie Johnson by 118 points, is eight points behind ninth-ranked Greg Biffle and leads 11th-ranked Jeff Gordon by six points.

RICHMOND RECORD: 25 career starts, 1 wins, 4 top-fives, 8 top-10s and 0 poles. Best career finish: First in summer 2005. Finished 28th in this race last year and was ninth in this year's spring race there.

LOOKING AHEAD: Busch and Furniture Row Racing are in position to make Chase history: being the first single-car team to ever make the Chase. Busch knows how much is at stake Saturday, but is ready to cast his lot and hope for the best: "We're in position to make history and that's pretty exciting for everyone associated with Furniture Row Racing. It's been our goal from the beginning of the year to make the Chase and we enter the final pre-Chase race controlling our own destiny. We need to get it done on our own Saturday night and not worry about what the other Chase contenders are doing."? LOOKING BACK: Busch had the highest-finishing Chevrolet at Atlanta, winding up a very strong fourth. In so doing, he moved back into Chase contention with one race left to go this Saturday at Richmond.

ETC.: Busch has completed 97.8 (9,786) of the 10,009 total laps contested in 25 career starts at Richmond. His average start is 20.0, while his average finish is 17.9. He has one DNF there.

24 JEFF GORDON, Chevrolet

Team: Hendrick Motorsports

WHERE HE STANDS: 11th, only six points out of the top 10. Gained two spots last week.

RICHMOND RECORD: Has finished third and second respectively in the last two September events. Overall has two wins and 25 top-10 finishes including 16 top-five's in 41 starts.

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